A search for long-lived particles (LLPs) produced in association with a Z boson is presented. The study is performed using data from proton-proton collisions with a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the CMS experiment during 2016-2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 117 fb$^{-1}$. The LLPs are assumed to decay to a pair of standard model quarks that are identified as displaced jets within the CMS tracker system. Triggers and selections based on Z boson decays to electron or muon pairs improve the sensitivity to light LLPs (down to 15 GeV). This search provides sensitivity to beyond the standard model scenarios which predict LLPs produced in association with a Z boson. In particular, the results are interpreted in the context of exotic decays of the Higgs boson to a pair of scalar LLPs (H $\to$ SS). The Higgs boson decay branching fraction is constrained to values less than 6% for proper decay lengths of 10-100 mm and for LLP masses between 40 and 55 GeV. In the case of low-mass ($\approx$ 15 GeV) scalar particles that subsequently decay to a pair of b quarks, the search is sensitive to branching fractions $\mathcal{B}$(H $\to$ SS) $\lt$ 20% for proper decay lengths of 10-50 mm. The use of associated production with a Z boson increases the sensitivity to low-mass LLPs of this analysis with respect to gluon fusion searches. In the case of 15 GeV scalar LLPs, the improvement corresponds to a factor of 2 at a proper decay length of 30 mm.
Distributions of the median-log10 impact parameter significance tagging variable for data and for four signal samples, where the decay lengths of the signal range from 1 to 1000 mm.
Distributions of the median-log10 track angle tagging variable for data and for four signal samples, where the decay lengths of the signal range from 1 to 1000 mm.
Distributions of the alpha max tagging variable for data and for four signal samples, where the decay lengths of the signal range from 1 to 1000 mm.
A search for long-lived particles decaying into an oppositely charged lepton pair, $\mu\mu$, $ee$, or $e\mu$, is presented using 32.8 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data collected at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Candidate leptons are required to form a vertex, within the inner tracking volume of ATLAS, displaced from the primary $pp$ interaction region. No lepton pairs with an invariant mass greater than 12 GeV are observed, consistent with the background expectations derived from data. The detection efficiencies for generic resonances with lifetimes ($c\tau$) of 100-1000 mm decaying into a dilepton pair with masses between 0.1-1.0 TeV are presented as a function of $p_T$ and decay radius of the resonances to allow the extraction of upper limits on the cross sections for theoretical models. The result is also interpreted in a supersymmetric model in which the lightest neutralino, produced via squark-antisquark production, decays into $\ell^{+}\ell^{'-}\nu$ ($\ell, \ell^{'} = e$, $\mu$) with a finite lifetime due to the presence of R-parity violating couplings. Cross-section limits are presented for specific squark and neutralino masses. For a 700 GeV squark, neutralinos with masses of 50-500 GeV and mean proper lifetimes corresponding to $c\tau$ values between 1 mm to 6 m are excluded. For a 1.6 TeV squark, $c\tau$ values between 3 mm to 1 m are excluded for 1.3 TeV neutralinos.
<h1>Overview of reinterpretation material</h1><p><b>Important note:</b> A detailed explanation of the reinterpretation material can be found <a href="https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/SUSY-2017-04/hepdata_info.pdf">here</a>.<br/>Please read this stand-alone document before reinterpreting the search.</p><h2>Parameterized detection efficiencies</h2><p>RPV SUSY model: Tables <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table27">27</a> to <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table44">44</a><br/>Z' toy model: Tables <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table45">45</a> to <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table59">59</a></p><h2>Further material for the RPV SUSY model</h2><p>Acceptances: Tables <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table18">18</a> (ee), <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table19">19</a> (emu) and <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table20">20</a> (mumu)<br/>Detection efficiencies: Tables <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table21">21</a> (ee), <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table22">22</a> (emu) and <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table23">23</a> (mumu)<br/>Overall signal efficiencies: Tables <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table24">24</a> (ee), <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table25">25</a> (emu) and <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table26">26</a> (mumu)</p><h2>Further material for the Z' toy model</h2><p>Acceptances, detection efficiencies and overall signal efficiencies: Tables <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table60">60</a> (mZ' = 100 GeV) to <a href="90606?version=1&table=Table64">64</a> (mZ' = 1000 GeV)</p>
dRcos distribution of dimuon pairs (scaled) and dimuon vertices in the cosmic rays control region. The distribution of all dimuon pairs is scaled to the DV distribution.
Dependence of the overall signal efficiency on the transverse decay radius Rxy of the long-lived Z' for Z' -> ee. The error bars indicate the total uncertainties.
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